Is Cranberry Juice Good for Your Teeth?

Dr. Michael's11 May 2014 9487

We know that sipping fruit juices all day is not good for you or your children’s chompers. Mainstream commercial juices pack a one-two punch of sugar and acidity and if you must, we recommend you have it during mealtimes.

Cranberries are really sour and are therefore more popular manufactured as juice, jam or sauce. Cranberry juice cocktail is approximately 26% to 33% pure cranberry juice, sweetened with fructose or artificial sweetener. According to the Harvard School of Public Health a 12-ounce serving of cranberry juice cocktail contains 12 teaspoons of sugar and 200 calories.

The debate whether or not drinking cranberry juice does more damage than good is so popular it earned its own caucus in the United States. The Cranberry Caucus kicked off at the time when sugary drinks are put under scrutiny, with health advocates pointing their fingers at large sodas and other drinks for the alarming rate of obesity in the US.

Cranberries can be enjoyed, they should be limited to mealtimes only to avoid potential problems.–Dr. Nigel Carter

Cranberry Juice and Oral Health

Cranberry juice is already known to help prevent UTI (urinary tract infection) by preventing bacteria from clinging to the bladder wall. In 2005, a team led by Hyun Koo, D.D.S., Ph.D., at the University of Rochester Medical Center found that this same trait also holds the same promise for protecting our teeth against tooth decay.

Dr. Koo’s team also found evidence that cranberry juice disrupts the formation of the building block of plaque saying, “Something in the cranberry juice disarms the pathogens that cause tooth decay.”

But don’t even think about running to the juice aisle in the grocery store to prevent tooth decay, Dr. Koo said. Instead, her team hopes to isolate the useful compounds within the juice and add them into toothpastes and mouthwashes.

Cranberry Juice: To drink or not to drink

Dr. Nigel Carter chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, said: "Cranberries are naturally very acidic, while manufacturers also tend to add sugar to cranberry products.”

"Every time you eat or drink something acidic the enamel on your teeth is softened temporarily.

"Tooth decay is caused by sugar, and erosion can leave you even more open to this.

"So while cranberries can be enjoyed, they should be limited to mealtimes only to avoid potential problems."